Whither Tancredo? (McInnis better act fast)

Something about the former conservative congressman evokes the archaic, yet Tom Tancredo[1] is back in the news, considering a Republican primary challenge in the gubernatorial race.

Haven’t the Grand Old Party’s big brass already said they want Scott McInnis[2] (another former congressman who also evokes the archaic)?

The easy explanation is to write off the former one-issue presidential candidate as a publicity seeker, but the notorious anti-immigration conservative has no trouble attracting attention. Tancredo could stir up plenty of intrigue doing something other than running for governor.

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Tancredo, the conservative’s conservative, has been busy working behind the scenes in Colorado politics, trying to shore up his party’s infrastructure.

In fact, there is a better explanation than the assumed publicity stunt, and it interestingly shifts the focus from Tancredo to his would-be opponent.

Party insiders say the problem is that the campaign McInnis has structured to date has created a vacuum that conservatives abhor.

Tancredo wants it filled.

Despite occasional gaffes, McInnis is likeable enough to fellow Republicans, but he’s been lacking substance on the campaign trail.

Wait.

Gaffes?

“Sins” might better describe some of the slips.

For example, trash-talking – a WEEK before Election Day [3]– the chances of Republican Senate contestant Bob Schaffer[4], and, for good measure, the Republican Party for backing Schaffer in his race last year against Mark Udall.

Responding to discontent among voters upset that McInnis refused to debate Penry, we dinged him [7]– twice – in editorials[8] last month.

But party insiders say such things could be overcome if McInnis starts running a stronger, meatier campaign.

After serving a dozen years in Congress representing Colorado’s enormous 3rd district, and five terms in the statehouse, including a stint as house majority leader, prior to his national service, McInnis remains opaque.

The conservative knock against McInnis is that he has so far simply marked time; that he has never really taken up the good fight as an advocate for fiscally responsible government.

That he feels it’s simply his turn to be governor.

A Tancredo run, or even the threat of one, could change that.

Granted, it also could hurt McInnis. Denver political analyst Eric Sondermann[9] tells me that the firebrand Tancredo would run a tougher campaign than Penry would have.

Penry, because he is young, would know he has a potentially longer career if he plays his cards correctly. Therefore, Penry wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on any “nuclear” weapons.

But Tancredo “wouldn’t leave any cannonballs in the cannon,” Sondermann says.

That said, Sondermann and others contend that a McInnis-Tancredo primary contest would force McInnis to focus on the core issues facing Colorado, which could help toughen him and impress a base that so far hasn’t been energized by his “when-I-was-in-Congress” politicking.

“Having a conversation with Josh Penry[10] and having a conversation with Scott McInnis are two different things,” Brad Jones[11], a conservative radio talk-show host, tells me. “(McInnis) is not connecting with a lot of the grassroots supporters.”

After watching financial support dry up for the Face the State[12] website Jones operated, the conservative commentator has been impressed with Tancredo’s efforts to rebuild the GOP money machine in Colorado.

So, we’re to understand, Tancredo is trying to re-introduce himself to Coloradans as a multi-faceted candidate with a variety of interests.

(And good luck with that.)

Meanwhile, Republican politicos point out that the biggest concern for Colorado’s governance at present isn’t illegal immigration[15], but the economy and changes Democrats want to make to the laws that govern state taxing and spending.

The point here is that to govern Colorado as a fiscal conservative requires a comprehensive understanding of the state’s intricate and interlocking laws regarding state spending.

Penry, the consummate policy wonk and state senate minority leader, exhibited those qualities, but so far McInnis hasn’t staked out a specific agenda with the kind of persuasive forcefulness that warms conservative hearts.

Consider Penry’s non-endorsement this week after he stepped out of the primary race.

The 33-year-old former McInnis employee said he needed to wait and see how his old mentor would shape his campaign agenda before he could stake his reputation on an endorsement.

That Penry doesn’t already know what his erstwhile opponent stands for is the problem bedeviling Tancredo and many others in the party.